first, and fuck the iphone. im a new zealander and its been released here in new zealand and its like 199 dollars to get and then a real bullshit service plan for like 2 years. fuck that.
Can someone please fucking tell me, how these corporations get away with this shit?? Back in the day (!), I recall a contract was something you had to READ, AGREE TO and SIGN. When the fuck did that all change?? When did corporations suddenly get this all-encompassing power to arbitrarily say "You're ass is ours for two years" just like THAT? On their say-so!!!!
Here in the U.S. its called deregulation or "free market". Uncontrolled corporations have no concern for their customer base, as long as the government is part of the collusion to abuse the average consumer, and give him no recourse.
This is why Cable companies, Banks, Brokerages, Mortgage companies, Auto manufacturers, Home builders, Energy companies, ect. all get away with this bullshit.
Example: Do I pay about $60 per month for electricity, No, my bill is $60.00 but I use only about $6.00 of actual electrical power, and the rest is Fees and taxes.
Sound familiar, like your bank statement, or your cable bill, ect.
The current bail out of the macs will include the purchase of the investors shares at above market value. What the hell its only tax payer money, and the investor should never loose money on a risky venture, right? Does that sound like the government is protecting the taxpayer or the corporations and the wealthy elite?
The entire system is upside down. The government is protecting the corporations from the people, and it should be the other way around.
you guys are straight out of Daily Kos - why don't u go there and sound off in your own echo chamber?
BTW - you wrote your comments using a computer designed, built, distributed, marketed and probably sold by a corporation. The sneakers on your feet? corporation. The cars you drive - corporation. etc. etc.
you have a choice. don't buy corporation products if it f***s u off so much. Go and live on granola in the boondocks and shit in the woods and leave the rest of us in peace.
This message is written on a computer built by Apple...
The problem is there are just a few real cell phone providers and they control the market, they "somehow" all came to the conclusion that a 2 year contract is the way to go.
Just like the same thing as the gas stations which for some not well researched reason seem to change their price all at the same time while of course there is no trust a work.
manolo - Are you ignoring the points made because you believe that corporations should be supported by the tax base? Do you believe that the U.S. taxpayer should be forced to buy shares in failing corporations that have been mismanaged?
IMO the tax payer has absolutely no obligation or duty to support private or public corporations.
I would recommend that if you like these "bailouts" and hate true capitalism, then you should move to a country where the government is well known for micro-managing peoples lives, as well as their industries. See how well it works there, we don't need that crap here.
podman, you wrote: "Uncontrolled corporations have no concern for their customer base, as long as the government is part of the collusion to abuse the average consumer, and give him no recourse. "
that isn't 'free markets' - which i support - that is something else entirely. in a true free market the corporation that has no concern for its customer base dies. governments are the problem, not corporations. how you got the impression i am against free markets is beyond me, and yet you say i am the one "ignoring the points'.
here is a nice saying that summarises my beliefs: "deliver my mail, defend my country, AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE."
i believe in a flat rate of income tax at 10%, no VAT, minimal federal government, local accountability.
manolo - How is the taxpayer support of corrupt failing corporations a "free market"? If you are in disagreement with my statement then you are in support of the bailouts.
When corporations abuse their customers junk mortgages, junk products, and their shareholders, and then fail due to their own incompetence, in spite of constant lobbying to set the rules of play as they want them. They then turn to this same government for which they claim disdain, and beg for cash.
If such a bailout occurs, then the corporation becomes nationalized, the shareholders loose all of their investment, and the officers are then subject to legal prosecution for the recovery of the assets.
podman, you wrote, as the first sentence: "Here in the U.S. its called deregulation or 'free market'".
you were associating that with govt intervention.
talk about confused.
I do not agree with the bail outs. that is not free market economics. i say a company (or corporation) should be allowed to fail and caveat emptor. it's what friedman and fellow travellers call clearing out the system and it returns the market to it's proper state. govt intervention just spreads the pain and lengthens it for everyone.
i 100% agree that it is perverse (to say the least) that financial institutions who usually ask for less regulation then come begging to govt for intervention when their gambles fail.
but is it surprising that they do so when govt has such widespread power? if federal govt was reduced to a minimum then corporations would not put so much time, effort and money into lobbying them.
Puppy - There are two problems here, and most observers are not getting it.
The government is supposed to set and enforce regulations and standards, (that is what its real job is), and this regulation of the market place creates a even playing field for ALL business endeavors large and small.
The government (the people) must be as powerful as the corporations that it needs to regulate. Deregulation is only necessary when the government is so powerful that the regulations and standards it sets create a real unprofitable burden for all corporations. This is NOT what is what we have now.
However even that has limitations, because if a industry is destructive to its employees or a sustainable environment, or engages in acts of treason, then certain lines cannot be crossed, and the government will have to prosecute through its enforcement agency's .
What the lobbyists have created is a perversion of government that does not regulate anything that would cause harm to a large corp. or set any standards for the same reason, it is in collusion with the largest corporations that can afford to purchase the legislation (national and local) they need to support themselves in a environment where taxpayer monies are used on a continuous basis for support.
This perversion of the government has been going on for so long that most don't even remember or understand what the true role of government is supposed to be anymore. The consumer/ tax payer / citizen and small business are now almost completely unprotected from large corporate controls.
When was the last time you heard a outcry against taxpayer money being used to fund the construction of a stadium for a multi-billionaire?
This perversion is now a accepted form of behaviour.
Trouble is, tis the free market at work - there are enough breathing idiots who like its looks and buy into its lifestyle imagery that they are willing to sign their choice away for two years
Personally I think the phone is a cool piece of design but I won't buy one until there are a load more competitive derivatives on the market
By then there'll be a way of chipping the thing anyway.
Here in many asian markets you can buy a phone and simply chip it to accept any service provider.
This means you can spunk dollars on ANY phone you like ('coz it's kewl') and only THEN chose which provider you wanna run with. That said, when users chose this route the full features of the phone aren't necessarily available. Thing is.. coz it looks good most people simply don't care!
People were buying i-phones and using pre-pay packages so no subsidising the 'lower' cost of the phone with a rip-off contract
Apple do make cool stuff and Jobs is a marketing genius. I just won't pay the prices he demands ;-)
Yeah, not to mention that it is AT&T so the line is tapped. (My current cell phone isn't, and it isn't $80/month either.)
My sister was in Sri Lanka after the Tidal Wave, in the rebel controlled region, (to rebuild a hospital.) And so once a week I was making a international call into a "terrorist controlled" area code, to talk to my sister about things like the size of the spider she saw that week in the outhouse, or how they were trying to get a live goat reimbursed as a dinner expense by the accountant in Brussels. You know, serious treason stuff. (I'm fairly sure that the government is probably reading this now.)
Miter, first comment to you wasn't an insult, it was a poor attempt at humor. To be honest, I rarely come up with a joke that can bring about a good laugh.. usually it goes over everyone's head, or... it just isn't funny.. I suppose I could just stop trying...
Also, you are 100% correct. I spelled pinocchio wrong.. *sniffs* hey Chaz, how long does it take to get an English Major? I need one of those somethin' awful.. Maybe I did make a funny joke, but unfortunately it's at my own expense.
"If I've said it once, I've said it a million times:
I've not had a solitary, single "alias" on Glumbert since I got here....A YEAR AGO! Zip. Zilch. Nada.
And in terms of this spat, I don't think he's involved in this one at all. Just my own opinion.
And by-the-by (and not that I think it'll do any good).....how 'bout just leaving him be? He's a guy who beat me to the punch in the courtesy department, so he gets the high marks from me for that one, especially considering the history he and I have had over the aforementioned SOLID year. Ballsy. Very ballsy.
So how 'bout the rest of you just chill out....okay?
Fuck sakes."
I belive you, for sure. You act a hell of a lot more intelligent than "aliasharraser". Why he would think i'm throbstick just because I don't like your copy-and-paste issue is blurry to me. I can't think of ANYONE else here who acts as dumb as him, aside maybe from infinity, but I think he already has several aliases himself, and therefore would be a hypocrit to call me one. Then again, he has pretty much admitted to being an alias himself, so is a hypocrit anyway.
I'm not sure, what do you guys think? Who is aliasharraser behind the facade?
Whats that? You stuck it in the drywall?! That is just sick. You should seek mental help. And it's not MY fault your mother never loved you, so don't take it out on me. Buy yourself a punching bag. (At least a punching bag should be more productive than your current outlet, masturbating.)
....and so are all of you. This site has deteriorated to the point that nobody can even insult properly.
A bunch of adolescent pricks with a combined I.Q. of 10.
Oh to be an adolescent again, thanks BWB, but I'm thinking this site's deterioation started just about the time this lastest group of posters started summer school for getting an "F" in US History.
gymyg.
Glumbert is now less than fascinating. In fact, it is hardly worth logging on to insult someone. There are so many (possibly just one or two aliases) with limited literary and social skills that it is tedious to the point of death.
you must have something to do a bit more relative to real live than this place.
I don't worry or wonder about aliases, who's who or what.
When you're not attacking Infin, I find you intresting to read, why not share some of the other things on your mind and let the rest of us into that complicated mind of yours.
Badbutt - You give unprecedented motivation for tedium. Might I suggest a research of dandruff, its causes, and its various cultural adverse impacts on left handed male archers?
If this is not tedious enough for the desired effect, check out your opportunities for leaving this boring environment via culturally encouraged avenues readily available in the middle east. Go by boat...air travel is chancy.
I am laughing at all of you people who just piss and moan about all of this.
You want an iPhone = pay the $
you don't wanna spend as much money = keep your cell, buy a touch
you don't wanna spend any money at all = keep your money and if you wanna bitch, choke on it and your old cell phone for good measure.
Isn't living in a democratic and economically run society great? Opinions for every body!!!
Seriously though, what is WRONG with you people, it's not like AT&T/Apple are going to waterboard you if you don't buy one, yet you piss and moan about how it is so expensive when there are other alternatives. Grow up or shut up.
But I can see your point, I'd love a Rolls Royce someday, but I am not going to act like I am 5 years old in an online blog over it.
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